Residential Real EstateHome Decorating Goes High-Tech
One of the most best aspects of the Internet is the presence of a wide
selection of national publications on the Web. The publications are
sometimes posted online in the same form as they are on the newsstand.
Other magazines choose to modify their content, making the stories and
features more interactive in nature, and essentially creating a different
product for the Internet. House
Beautiful is one such publication. In a unique partnership with
online giant HomeArts.com, House Beautiful has created a unique
online version of its publication which capitalizes on the best of what
technology has to offer. It"s an opportunity for consumers to "try on"
various designs and home-related ideas to see what works for them. And of
course, if consumers find something they want to buy, the site enables them
to purchase CD-ROMs, books and other materials online.
You"ll find a sampling of reprinted features from the newsstand version of
House Beautiful, along with interactive enhancements such as chat
rooms with fellow readers on subjects related to the magazine articles
(such as advice for creating the look you want in your home).
Other interactive tools include a materials estimator that enables
consumers to "ballpark" the amounts of paint, wallpaper, drywall and/or
tile they"ll need to complete their projects. These estimates, of course,
can vary depending upon the quality of materials used and the how well the
homeowner does the job. You"ll also find tips from designer Barbara Barry,
who is joined by fellow designers Ellen Tracy (a fictitious name for
designer Linda Allard), Dakota Jackson and Alexander Julian. You also may
click on an option, compatible for PC and Mac computers, that enables you
to hear the designers talking about their preferences of style and advising
consumers on how to apply these techniques in their own homes.
One particularly outstanding feature of House Beautiful online is
its CD-ROM offer available to readers. Once installed in your computer, the
CD-ROM enables you to select the shape of your room. You may then
"experiment with a variety of architectural styles and design features,
including windows and doors, paint, wall textures and wallpapers. You may
even "lug" furniture into your rooms and add accessories. When you"ve found
an arrangement that suits your style, click on "3D" to view your rooms from
all angles. You may then save your designs for later reference.
If you need some help to get started with decorating ideas, the CD-ROM
gives you the option of downloading room designs from a House
Beautiful staffer, hear her descriptive narrations and view her room
designs in 3D as they spin around to provide a view from every angle.
You"ll find a link on the home page which brings you to yet another
excellent interactive tool, called House Beautiful Interactive
Interiors. Get started by viewing four different room designs provided
by the magazine"s decorators. Once you"ve gotten a little inspiration, head
to the interactive feature, where you"re presented with four steps: Select,
View, Match and Decorate. You"ll see a wide selection of major companies
listed, from Corian to Kohler to GE, and clicking on each name will bring
you to a selection of that company"s products. As you make your selections
and view them, their names appear in your own personal folder, located on
the left of your screen, which allows you to keep a record of your
preferences. Consumers may save their personal files and print them out for
easy reference.
In addition to reading a database of archived stories, you may also order
special publications and books produced by House Beautiful; the
magazine has produced many excellent publications that specialize in every
room of the house and nearly every home-related subject -- from slipcovers
to decorating small spaces to entertaining to gardening. You may also order
software through the site.
House Beautiful combines the best of its own newsstand publication
-- and the best aspects of the Internet -- to produce an extremely
informative, easy-to-navigate site. And because the site is affiliated with
the HomeArts.com network, you"ll find links to numerous other publications,
as well.